Travel Equipment and Travel Gear

The most important thing to remember when you are packing for a holiday is to pack as little as possible and this is the most important packing guide you have to remember before figuring out which travel equipment or travel gear that you should bring along on your vacation. Packing lightly should be the first thing on your mind when deciding on what travel accessories to bring along because it will save a lot of hassle and energy when moving your luggage from one place to another during your trip. The most essential rule to remember here is always try to travel light and by this, you have already made your trip much easier and enjoyable. So, always keep in mind this travel tip as it is one of the top travel tips you will come across. Most countries in Asia are well stocked with most of the personal items that you may need and therefore you will have the opportunity to buy whatever you need need over there. Having good packing tips gives you a good vacation.

It would a wiser move to buy whatever you may need as you go along your journey rather than throwing them away because of too much too carry. Not to bring anything along also would be a mistake. It is important to begin assembling on what to bring weeks ahead of time and never leave it to the very last minute to do your packing. Always have a list of all the important items that you need to bring along so that that you will not miss out on anything. Make sure everything is in order and works. Check to see if everything is there and make sure that you know how to operate all the items you bring along. If you are bringing along a tent, you should learn how to set up the tent before going. Carefully check the seams, snaps, zippers, pack frame welds and stitching at stress points. It is essential to make sure that all your gear fits in your backpack, gear pack, duffle bag or whatever carrying device you are taking along with you. You must always keep in mind that different types of trips require different types of travel equipment and also different types of packs for your personal gear. Several types of packs available are backpacks, day packs, floatable river bags or a strong nylon duffle-type bag. A flexible attitude is always needed in case your travel gear proves to be inadequate and also to face any unforeseen circumstances that will occurred during your trip. Before leaving for the airport or your trip, go over your checklist and equipment again.

Packing Tips

Some travelers jam two weeks' worth of gear in their bags for a long weekend. Others pack a bit too lightly and forget important things like medicine or passports. Savvy travelers strike the perfect balance and bring just what they need -- with a little help from our list of road-tested packing tips, of course!

 

Packing Methods
When packing your clothes, you don't want to neatly fold them individually as you would in a dresser. If you do, they will crease when compressed. Here are a few alternatives:

Rolling Your Clothes
Backpackers swear by this method. Rolling works well with pants, skirts and sports shirts. Lay the item face down, fold back the sleeves and then roll from the bottom up.

Fold Clothes Together
Take two or more garments, for example trousers, and lay half of one pair on top of the other. Fold the one on the bottom over the pair on the top. Then take the other and fold it on the top. This gives each pair some cushion where you've folded it so it's less likely to crease or wrinkle in the folds.

The Bundle Approach
This ingenious method of packing, which we learned from Judith Guilford, co-founder of the Easy Going travel store and author of the "The Packing Book," has now become our favorite. It's a bit difficult to explain without a demonstration, but we'll do our best. You need luggage that opens up and lays flat to do this. You will also need a flat, soft, pouch-like rectangular "core" with dimensions that are at least 1/2 to 3/4 the size of your luggage compartment. This can be a pouch filled with underwear or something similar.

Start with your sports jacket or the longest, most wrinkle-prone item you have. With the collar or waistband flat, place it against the bottom edge of the bag and drape the rest of the garment over the opposite side of the bag. Take another garment and place it in the opposite direction, flattening and smoothing out both garments in the bag and draping the remainder over the side. If you have trousers or other narrow items, do the same with them in the narrow direction of the bag. Keep alternating your items, ending up with the most wrinkle-resistant clothes you have.

When you finish, place your "core" in the middle. Now you're going to start folding the garments over the core and each other in the reverse order you put them in. If you fold something over and there's excess draping over the sides of the bag, tuck it underneath the bundle you are creating.

What you will end up with is a bundle of all of your clothes that looks like a pillow. You can pick it up in one piece. It's compactly packed and doesn't waste an available space in your luggage. Plus, because of the way things are folded, your clothes will wrinkle less.

To find something in the bundle, lay it flat and unwrap until you reach the layer you want. Take the item out and refold the remainder. If done properly each layer should result in a self contained bundle at each layer.

Tissue Paper
For delicate items, try tissue paper. Lay the item face down and place tissue paper on top. Fold it up with the tissue paper inside. Use additional layers of paper as you fold the garment so it is completely wrapped in and around paper. This is easy enough the first time you pack, but becomes a pain if you have to keep repacking. We only use this approach for evening clothes that we don't want to crush.

Tips for Air Travelers

·  You may not pack liquid or gel substances in your carry-on unless they are in individual three-ounce containers, enclosed in one clear, quart-size, plastic, zip-top bag per passenger. Any larger containers of liquids and gels must be packed in your checked luggage. For more information, see Know Before You Go: Airport Security Q&A.

·  Be aware of restrictions on the size and number of bags you may bring onto your flight. Many airlines now charge a fee for every checked bag or have lowered the maximum permitted weight limits for checked luggage. For a clear overview of what the airlines are charging for checked bags these days, and how large and heavy your luggage is allowed to be, read Airline Baggage Fees.

·  Do not lock your checked bags except with TSA-approved locks; otherwise, if your bag is selected for random screening, agents will have to break the lock to get inside.

·  Do not overpack your bag. Screeners will have a difficult time closing your luggage if selected for inspection, which will only lead to wrinkles and the potential for lost articles.

·  Carry all film with you onboard, as screening equipment for checked luggage can damage undeveloped film.

·  Place any packed belongings you don't feel comfortable with strangers handling in clear plastic bags.

·  Do not stack books and other documents on top of each other; instead, spread them out throughout your bag.

Source: independenttraveler.com